I agree that our sins - past, present, future - are forgiven and we are justified by the blood of Christ and saved from the eternal penalty of that sin. We are found IN Christ not having our own righteousness (which could never save us) but the righteousness of God in Christ by grace through faith. This is forensic justification.
However...the Apostle John was addressing believers in his epistle and I believe he was talking about our Christian walk of sanctification where the old nature and the new born again natures within us are in conflict. When we are admonished to confess our sins to one another so that we may be healed, there is a recognition that we will continue to battle with our sin nature but that God is faithful to forgive - keep on forgiving us - and cleansing us from all unrighteousness so that our fellowship with Him and others is restored.
We don’t lose our salvation when we sin because we are sealed with the Holy Spirit and redeemed when we come to saving faith in Christ. But what unconfessed sin in our lives does do is fracture our peace with God and brings His discipline so that we respond to His leading and get back on the path of holy living. I didn’t intend to turn this thread into a Religion Forum topic but Trump’s comment about never confessing his sins to God and asking for His forgiveness struck me as prideful and wrong headed. I readily admit I struggle with sin just as Paul did in his letter to the Roman churches. As I have grown in my faith, the struggle has eased but I could never say I don’t need God’s continuing forgiveness and cleansing.
Many of Trump’s public indiscretions are known and it would do a lot towards assuring me and others that he at least acknowledges he has erred and is humble enough to seek God’s forgiveness as well as from those he has wronged. I’m NOT talking about a Jimmy Swaggert kind of public sobbing confession but simply an admission he misspoke and does indeed seek God’s forgiveness in his life. That’s all.
>>I’m NOT talking about a Jimmy Swaggert kind of public sobbing confession but simply an admission he misspoke and does indeed seek God’s forgiveness in his life. That’s all.
But everyone in the Cruz camp seems to want some public admission of sin that, no matter how you do it, comes off as less than genuine. This is true for the big Swaggart cry fest to the Jimmy Carter “I have lusted in my heart”. The bottom line is that it is not something for us to hear. I hate false piety more than a genuine atheist because at least the genuine atheist (as opposed to the God-hating anti-theist) is honest.